Page:History of the Nonjurors.djvu/361

Rh Greeks in London, to be by them transmitted to the Four Eastern Patriarchs. May 29th, 1722."

"We were much refreshed by your letter, which you sent us by the Rev. James, the Patriarchal Proto-Cyncellus, as being an evident testimony of the great desire you have of bringing a coalition between the catholic eastern Churches, and the catholic remnant of the British Churches to bear upon such terms as may give us both the comfortable hope of its being permanent. We have now together with this sent our answers to the four Patriarchs founded upon Holy Writ, as interpreted by the Fathers of the Primitive Church, and in such terms, as we hope, will make our sincere desires and endeavours to promote and finish a blessed concordate very apparent to them and to you. And we return you our hearty thanks, for the great pains you have been at, in bringing it this length, and doubt not of your doing your utmost to finish what you have so charitably carried on hitherto, under such discouragements from the situation of public affairs, and the great distance we are at from one another. Nor need we inform you of the many difficulties and discouragements that we have to struggle with on this occasion. For while we had the happiness of your residing amongst us, you were pretty fully apprised of a good share of them, and they are not fewer now than they were then. Yet no difficulty or discouragement of this nature shall hinder us, by God's help, from doing our utmost endeavours to promote so good